Outcasts
by flyin'rabbit
Summary: He wished he could help her just like she helped him. But he had no idea how.


**A/N**: Just a little story I wrote a while ago. Hopefully you'll enjoy it!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the world of Harry Potter...

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She was always there to help him. From the moment they had met, she had been helping him. To find his toad. That must've been one great first impression. She helped him out with his homework as well. He was very grateful for that, for he really needed that help. No matter what his gran said, or wanted, Neville just couldn't do it all by himself. Not yet, at least. He hoped that one day, a day would come that his gran would be proud of him for who he was, instead of who she wanted him to be.

He was almost certain that one day, he would be able to figure out his homework by himself; for the biggest part, that was. He just had some trouble adjusting to the life at Hogwarts, and she was there to help with homework, one of his major concerns.

Not only was she the only one who occasionally helped him, but she was also the only one who even talked to him here. Sure, the other boys in his dorm would sometimes say something that could be directed at him, but they didn't seem to want too much to do with him most of the time. And sure, there were other people who talked to him – Malfoy and his fellow Slytherins among them – but that was mostly to mock him. Right after that, they would send a hex his way, leaving him helpless until someone who was willing and able to help him would come along.

He had hoped that his life would change once he'd arrive at Hogwarts. That he would have friends, that there would be people wanting to talk to him and hang out with him. The only people he had known before coming here were his gran and some other older family members. But the people here didn't know that; they didn't know that he used to see his parents only once a week, and even then, they weren't in a state that always allowed them to communicate to him.

Trying not to think about his parents too much, Neville flipped through the pages of his Potions book. It was immensely difficult, he found, but he had to do well. If he didn't, Snape would deduct more points from Gryffindor, or mock him in front of the entire class. Again.

"Hey, Neville. How are you doing?"

Blushing a little, Neville looked up from the book. Hermione, now sitting next to him on the couch in the common room, smiled sadly at him.

"I'm fine," he said, shrugging. "It's just difficult." She nodded, but Neville was sure that she already knew every piece of information in the book. "You?"

"I'm fine too," she replied, and Neville nodded as if he knew exactly what was bothering her. Truth was, he didn't. Not exactly anyway. He knew that she was having a hard time as well. After all, only a few months ago, she didn't even know magic existed. Now she was here, trying to fit in with people who disliked her for being a Muggleborn or because she was so smart.

They sat in silence for a while and Neville wished that he could help her, just like she helped him. But he had no idea what to do, what to help her with. To her, he was probably just someone who wasn't smart enough to survive homework and school by himself – which was true – but nothing else. A boy who had no idea what to do when a girl attempted to have a conversation with him, who could only blush.

Though that was partly true – he didn't really know what to do with himself when a girl talked to him – it wasn't the complete truth.

"I'm going to bed," she suddenly said, and Neville looked up, startled.

"Okay," he replied, and she smiled. "Good night."

"Good night, Neville."

He didn't blush when other girls spoke to him; not that _that_ happened often. He wasn't sure how or why, but he sort of really liked her. The reason for that was probably the fact that she helped him out so much, but that didn't matter. He knew, even if most people who knew him thought that he was a helpless case, that it was probably just a temporary thing. One wrong day and it might be over. And that was probably for the best.

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**A/N**: So, what do you think? Did you like it, hate it, anythign else? Let me know, please review!


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